Some of the content on this website requires JavaScript to be enabled in your web browser to function as intended. While the website is still usable without JavaScript, it should be enabled to enjoy the full interactive experience.

Types of Aid

Kutztown University offers a variety of types of aid. File the FAFSA to apply for all federal and state financial aid.

Federal Aid

Federal Pell GrantActual amount is determined by need. Must be working towards first bachelor's degree.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)Actual amount is determined by need. Must be working toward first bachelor's degree. Early filing is essential. Limited to students with exceptionally high financial need.

Federal Perkins LoanActual amount depends on financial need. Carries a five percent interest rate. Repayment of principal and interest begins nine months after the student graduates or drops enrollment to less than half-time (fewer than six credits). Early filing is essential. Limited to students with high financial need.

Federal Work StudyActual amounts depend on need. On and off campus part-time job openings are listed on the Student Employment website. Hourly rate is at least minimum wage with an average 15-hour work week. FAFSA must be on file.

Available to undergrad, grad or teacher certification students. Must be education major in high-need area (as determined yearly by the Department of Education) and have a 3.25 cumulative GPA. Must teach full-time in high-need subject area for minimum of four years within eight years of graduating. If any conditions are not met, grant reverts to unsubsidized loan. (KU Financial Aid Office only offers TEACH to upperclass students.)

Federal Stafford Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized)*Actual amount depends on need. Repayment begins six months after the student ceases half-time enrollment. Eligibility for a subsidized Stafford is based on need and features deferment of principal and interest. For an unsubsidized Stafford, principal is deferred, but the student is responsible for the interest (either paid quarterly or capitalized). Annual loan maximums are $5,500 for 0-to-29.5 credits earned, $6,500 for 30-to-59.5 credits, and $7,500 for 60 or more credits. Independent undergrads and graduate students have greater limits. There is an overall maximum of $31,000 for dependent undergraduate students. There is a maximum of $20,500 per year base amount for graduate students.

Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Student (PLUS)*Available to parents of dependent undergraduate students. Repayment of principal and interest begins six months after the student graduates or drops below half-time (six credits) if the parent contacts the lender to request the deferment. Annual maximum is cost of education minus other financial aid. If a parent is denied a PLUS loan, the dependent undergraduate student can borrow more in an unsubsidized Stafford Loan. The student must meet federal financial aid progress requirements in order for the PLUS loan to be certified by the Financial Aid Office.

*In accordance with U.S. Department of Education regulations (HEOA 489 amended HEA Sec.485B), Kutztown University and the Office of Financial Aid Services acknowledges to students and parents that when the student enters into an agreement regarding a Title IV(HEA) loan, i.e.: Direct Stafford Loan and Direct Parent PLUS Loan that the loan will be submitted to NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System) and accessible by authorized agencies, lenders, and institutions.

State Aid

PHEAA State GrantAwarded on basis of need. Must be resident of Pennsylvania and working toward first bachelor's degree.

Notes on online classes:

The Financial Aid Office must monitor the number of online credits in your class schedule for Fall and Spring semesters through July 31st of the academic year.

In order to retain your PHEAA state grant, at least half of your semester's credits must be in a face-to-face, in-person classroom. If you have more online credits than in-person credits in a term, your PHEAA grant will be cancelled. (A "blended" course is considered an online course for state grant purposes.)

If your ratio of online vs. in-person credits changes from the way the state grant was originally paid to you, the following could happen:

Your grant amount will be reduced from full-time to part-time and you owe back the amount for which you are no longer eligible, or

Your grant will be cancelled and you owe back what was paid to you because based on the withdrawal, more than half of the remaining credits in your schedule are (or were) online.

To summarize:

If you receive a PHEAA grant during a semester that you take one or more online courses, your PHEAA grant eligibility could change and you could owe some or all of the grant back to the university if you withdraw from a course even if the aid has already been paid and even if the semester has ended if the change to that semester's schedule results in going from full to part-time or to more online credits than in-person credits.

Institutional Aid

University ScholarshipsMost scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and financial need. Filing the FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA by the published deadline (March 1) is essential. No additional separate application is required for initial scholarship consideration. Honors Program and some athletic scholarships are awarded based solely on individual criteria such as academic standing or athletic performance. Outside private scholarships provide additional options worth exploring.

Other Aid

Alternative LoansNonfederal loans for educational purposes can supplement federal/state aid or can be used when the student is ineligible for federal Stafford/PLUS loans due to insufficient financial aid progress, or having exhausted federal/state aid for the year. Please be sure to explore your eligibility for all federal and state financial aid options before requesting an alternative loan. Deferment of principal and interest may be an option. A creditworthy co-signer with a stable income and established residence is usually required. Some alternative loans offer a co-signer release from repayment responsibility after the student borrower makes a specific number of on-time payments. Please see our Lender Code of Conduct. View KU's recommended lender list for alternative loans at elmselect.com. Borrowers have the right to select any lender they choose. Recommended lenders have been selected based on competitive pricing, borrower benefits, and service to borrowers and to the school.

Special Programs & Aid Eligibility

Teacher Certification and Elementary/Secondary Counselor CertificationPost-baccalaureate students attending Kutztown University to receive teacher or elementary/secondary counselor certification from the state of Pennsylvania are eligible to apply for federal Stafford and alternative loans only.

Consortium AgreementsA KU student taking classes at another school may qualify for financial aid if the total enrollment is at least half-time and the other school agrees to participate.

Study AbroadA student may receive aid for study outside the U.S. if the program is sponsored by Kutztown University or another United States institution of higher education that agrees to participate in a consortium agreement with KU. Credits earned at another institution must be pre-approved for transfer to Kutztown University.

Professional Credits StudentsProfessional Credits students, not yet fully accepted into a graduate degree program, are not eligible for federal student loans or other aid. A variety of private alternative loans are available to help cover educational expenses.

Lifelong LearningStudents enrolled in Lifelong Learning are not considered to be enrolled in a degree or certificate program and are, therefore, ineligible for federal and state aid. A variety of private alternative loans are available to help cover educational expenses.